The USGA announced today for the first time in the USGA's storied history, the Men's and Women's U.S. Opens will be held in back-to-back weeks.  The 2014 U.S. Open will be on June 12-15 and the 2014 U.S. Women's Open will be June 19-22 at Pinehurst No. 2.  It's being hailed as a "double-header."  The release explains the hope is to increase exposure to the Women's Open.  It's a good move and it makes sense from a logistics standpoint. 

In reading further, the release explains that most courses couldn't maintain playability because of the wear and tear a major is to a golf course.  But, since Pinehurst No. 2 is a unique course with a sand base and lack of rough around its greens, it is perfectly suited to host a set of majors in subsequent weeks.

I'm sure this will garner a lot of attention leading up to the tournaments.  This idea alone will not sell the golf fans.  As always, the players will bring in the paying public and if enough eyes decide to follow the back-to-back action, only then will it be deemed a success and if it will be repeated.

It's this type of outside the box thinking which sometimes starts new traditions and makes an already great event even better.  It's nice to see from a somewhat ridged organization such as the USGA.  Now we only must wait 5 years!